


Why Do You Avoid Me?

by AnneLaurant



Series: things you said [3]
Category: W.I.T.C.H.
Genre: Angst, F/M, Prompt Fill, Royalty, Unresolved
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-28
Updated: 2019-08-28
Packaged: 2020-09-28 11:08:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 964
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20424962
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AnneLaurant/pseuds/AnneLaurant
Summary: And then, he suddenly withdrew all sorts of affection, and it just leaves her asking, asking, asking...





	Why Do You Avoid Me?

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ZarahXan](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=ZarahXan).

He rejected her affections.

He turned away from her side of the bed. He refused to hug her; he refused her hugs. And worst of all, every time their gazes met, his face would pale.

He was hiding something, and Will could never allow him to.

It started as a trivial thing, as a thing she could shrug off as him having a bad day. She remembered Phobos to be rather broody that day. He had a grim expression on his face, and he wouldn't say a thing. It had to be one of those nightmares that sometimes would come back, and Will would wait for him to speak of it. He never did.

And day by day, he became colder. He flinched at her touch and refused most acts of intimacy.

And lightning sparkled across Will's head all the more, and Meridian's court of nobles would never forget how the Princess Consort lashed out at them one day, taking all her frustrations out on the non-performing officials of the government and society.

She tried not to mind it - to give Phobos the time and space he needed. She tried her best not to show any sliver of possessiveness; tried to hint him she was getting rather jealous of whatever it was that preoccupied his mind. She played with her ring; she spied his fingers to see if his ring is still on; she reminded herself that they were still bound by the laws and morals of marriage.

Will could only try so many things before she snapped.

She tried to understand; she really did, didn't she? However, there was simply no reason for this sudden coldness. Phobos didn't normally like talking to people; he couldn't have had a lover on the side. The only other explanation was that he'd grown tired of her, of her strictness, of her righteousness...

Unless, going back to the first angle, there had been someone...

Unable to contain every single bit of emotion, Will found herself crying in his garden one day. Surrounded by the plants he poured his attention to, the roses that he praised with song, and dearingly wove into her hair sometimes... had that not been proof of his love? He loved her, didn't he? Didn't he?

She then heard footsteps. Very gentle footsteps. She didn't even need to look to figure out who it was; she was a guardian. She could feel people she was used to. Of course, one of such people was her husband, dear, dear Phobos.

"You abandoned me," she whined as he knelt before her. "What's going on? What's going on between us?"

"Will, I can't tell you to be not sad, but please, look at me."

Will shook her head, keeping her eyes hidden beneath her hands. She couldn't. Not after his lack of affections hurt her.

"Please, Will. Look at me. All I want for you is to look at me, and give me this last few pieces of time."

Last few pieces of time? It wasn't as if he was dying!

...was he?

With shivering hands, Will allowed herself to peek through her fingers, and she only wailed louder, throwing herself before her husband's feet.

"Will... Will... come on, Will..."

His voice was jolly, but his situation was quite the opposite. Red crystals with purplish shadow-hues formed on his chest, marks of an hereditary disease overtaking him. This was part of the reason why male heirs were discouraged - their Escanorian genes dictated they would die young from an inescapable illness, marked by crystals forming over their skin.

"I was only trying to hide it. To delay it. Will. Please. Look at me."

"How could you... how could you?!" cursed Will, holding on to his black robes. "How could you keep this from me?! We don't even have children just yet!"

"Shhh, it's all right..."

"It's not all right!" Will dared to look at him, but found resignation and gentleness in his face. For once, the scheming Phobos, who usually always found a way to bounce back, to fight against fate, Kandrakar, and even other gods...

His eyes said he'd given up. His eyes gleamed, seemingly on the verge of tears.

"My health is failing. And I can't do anything more to slow it down," he whispered, taking her hand into his and kissing her knuckles, kissing the very ring he slipped onto her finger. "I'm sorry."

"Don't 'I'm sorry' me!" Will sobbed, pounding her other fist on his shoulder. "First of all, how dare you hurt me that much just to hurt me with this reality? Second, how dare you not trust me with this problem of yours? Who do you think I am?!"

"My wife. My love."

"So why didn't you tell me?!"

Phobos didn't answer. He only took her into his arms, carried her as he would sometimes do, and walked to their bedroom. He set her onto the bed and kissed her nose.  
Angry as she was, she was also unable to resist his touch, which she sorely missed. Her lips chased his, and they locked in a slow dance. Pulling, needing, craving flesh, touch, answers.

'We'll find a way out of this,' Will wanted to say through her whimpers, but her husband's melancholic eyes shut her lips.

"I don't mind going now, Will. I don't think I regret anything anymore."

"Even leaving me?"

Phobos kissed her again on the nose. "I will not leave you alone. I will not leave your soul or your heart. I will always, always be with you."

She clung to him, feeling the sharp yet fragile crystals poke her chest. She'd have to find a way out of this. If he was going to leave her, he better leave her happy. Not like this.

Not yet, not yet...


End file.
